


The Small Drinks of Life

by toupoiboy



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: After Last Season, Established Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter, Gay, Hannigram - Freeform, LGBTQ Character, M/M, m/m - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-05-19 18:27:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19362190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toupoiboy/pseuds/toupoiboy
Summary: Will Graham has two different parts of his life.One with Hannibal—the only place he could truly be himself without the judgement of others.The other side though, is when he's out in society.





	The Small Drinks of Life

When the fall happened, it concluded a chapter in Will Graham’s life that he hadn’t known was coming to an end. The two, Dr. Lecter and his former patient, both physically and metaphorically sewed each other back together and ran off to a quiet town in a quiet place in some foreign country.

Their names changed. They forged a marriage license as to not be suspicious. This situation was all too familiar to Hannibal Lecter. He’d done it many times before and, if he had to, he would do it again.

“This one doesn’t have to be clever,” Will told his devoted lover, “This one can be different. We could live a peaceful life together and die. That would be the end.”

So, with a reluctant promise from Hannibal - a promise Will pleaded not to be broken - the two continued their unmoving lives, settling down for the best of themselves.

As time went on, though, Will Graham found himself drifting. 

He had two different parts of his life. 

One with Hannibal, where he would surround himself with great lines of symbolism and allow the small drinks of affection to overwhelm him. They weren’t always intimate, but when they were, it sparked a passion that Will could only find with Hannibal. It reminded him of the moments they shared, bloody and broken, as they lay on the beach figuring out a plan for their next action. Will considered Hannibal his home - his sanctuary. The only place he could truly be himself without the judgement from others. 

The second side though, was when he was out in society.

“Gabriel Moretti!” His colleagues would call happily, striving to gain an indifferent and mysterious man’s affections. 

When he was without Hannibal, he became a myth, a legend, a person whom others wanted to coil themselves with and know. He was the kind and gentle teacher with a past and a quick sense of words. His scars, which cascaded down his face and neck, held a story of interest that students and colleagues alike were dying to get their hands on. He was liked, which was a feeling so unfamiliar to who he was in his past life. He was Gabriel Moretti, a confident and astoundingly beautiful being who nobody could get their hands on. Nobody, except Hannibal.

With lives so vastly different, Will strove to keep them apart. He put on this unnatural persona amongst his “friends” and then returned home as a different man to Hannibal Lecter. It was difficult to keep his lover out of his space, but he managed it, making excuse after excuse of why he didn’t want Hannibal to visit him while he worked. People whom he surrounded himself with now wouldn’t understand Hannibal in the same way Will did. What he wanted in the world, least of all, was for those people to find him unusual because of Hannibal’s oblivious words and actions. So, separate it was, and it worked, for a while.

“Bianchi grieved for his unborn son,” Will concluded his lecture, gesturing to the image of James Bianchi which appeared on the next slide, “And that brought him to murder…” His eyes drifted amongst the crowd of students who were on the edge of their seats.

“Now tell me-” Will stammered over his words, catching that face of Hannibal Lecter standing slyly at the door, “Um…” he shook his head brushing off the casualty and returned his gaze to his unfortunate students, “For tonight, give me a summary of what you believe truly brought Bianchi to his insanity.”

And with that, the lecture concluded and Will shoved up his glasses, pushing papers into his book.

“What are you doing here?” Will hushed when Hannibal approached, his back turned to him. He hadn’t dared to look straight into Dr. Lecter’s eyes. His lover would be able to sense his feelings such as a stray dog senses another man’s fear.

“I came to witness your lecture,” Hannibal smoothly guided himself along Will’s desk, fiddling with pens and pencils and sticking them where he saw they fit best, “I /did/ alarm you that I was arriving today. I believe it was this morning.”

“You said you had a meeting.”

“Yes,” Hannibal’s gaze met Will’s, “The _meeting_ was to see you lecture.”

The corners of Will’s mouth twitched in defiance as he peered into those lyingly innocent eyes. Hannibal was right, he  _ had _ told Will he was going to see him today, even if the man hadn’t known about it. Next time, he was definitely going to pay attention to the details of the statements Hannibal spoke.

The bright blues searched around the lecture hall. The eyes of curious students leaving holes in the back of his skull were soon disappearing as they crowded out the door.

“Let us go,” Will hurried, shoving books and a laptop into his bag, “I would like to go-”

“So soon?” Hannibal’s brows flattened.

“Yes. So soon,” And without a second word he placed a hand on Hannibal’s back and guided him towards the door. Hannibal froze in his tracks as a reluctant child would when playtime was over.

“Ah, James Bianchi,” He instead turned his attention to the man projected on the board, “Murdered his wife after she...unfortunately miscarried, correct?”

“..Correct,” Will grumbled out, eyes travelling up to the curious frame, “It was the day she was to have the fetus removed. It was..harmful for her to be carrying it,” He drifted to Hannibal, who was still staring up at the projection.

“A shame.”

“Is it?”

“Is it not?” Hannibal’s discreet pupils found Will’s and he quirked his head to the side, “Rather, is it not what...people would assume?”

“Yes…” Will swallowed, “Though, is it what you would assume?”

Hannibal looked to his shoes, taking a stride over to Will’s desk for a moment of dramatics, “My empathetic side tells me that this is a loss. That Bianchi only killed over the sorrow of something he could never have, and that a person who should not have perished, did so because of another man’s insanity.” Dark circles of maroon met with casual blues, causing them to dilate with satisfaction.

“And your logical side?” Will pulled his stare away.

“My logical side tells me that insanity is the human minds’ most extraordinary grief.”

Will snuffed a chuckle, “You find his grief more….. _ appealing _ than you do...pitiful.”

“I do.”

Hannibal’s warm smile found Will and they shared a second of peaceful bliss, before the doors to the lecture hall swung open quietly and the scruffed man whipped his head around.

“Oh,” The stranger spoke up upon realization that the room wasn’t as empty as he believed it was, “I don’t mean to intrude, Gabriel...I just need to set up for my address.”

“We were just leaving,” Will slouched, picking up his bag and wringing a hand around Hannibal Lecter’s arm.

“Ah-” The stranger cut in, noticing an unfamiliar standing next to Will, “This must be your husband I’ve heard so much about,” He smiled toothily, the sarcasm pouring from his lips. Will witnessed a distinct change in Hannibal’s stature: He straightened out, graciously grinned, and put a sensible hand out to be shaken.

“Sascha Moretti.” Hannibal squeezed the hand placed in his and shook firmly, “I’m sure my husband has kept his lips sealed pertaining my interest.”

“Rossi,” The young man introduced, a meddlesome glance averting to Will as he saw the sweat perspire from his temple, “I’m a good friend of Gabriel’s. I assume he’s told you all about me. I practically taught him the ins and outs of this function,” He giggled childishly, throwing a teasing look towards Will.

“Nothing at all,” Hannibal grit through a smile, and they both looked towards Will for some form of explanation.

Will cleared the dryness that was collecting at the back of his throat, “No, no I….I prefer to keep my home and work life separate. A lot of faculty believe the same decency is required especially when teaching to the lives of young innocents.”

“They may be young, but I am sure a lot of them are not innocent,” Rossi commented with a wink. He returned back to the awaiting Hannibal, “Gabriel has been a wonderful addition to the staff. He is not only one of the greatest teachers in this building but also one of the greatest friends I have ever come to know..”

Will caught the difference in Hannibal’s manner, his nerves tightening.

“That is quite something,” Hannibal spoke staring at his ill-fated beloved.

Will’s eyes flit to the side, “I suppose we should be going-”

“Actually,” Rossi intervened, “Alfonsi and I were going to depart for drinks at L’ultima Cena...ah...let’s say....seven or so. I was going to ask you if you would like to join us. Sascha, of course, you are welcome to come along. It would be nice to know more about the man my dear friend holds so profoundly.”

Will looked to the clock, ticking away at the time of four o’clock. The door opened as students began to come in, slowly taking their seats and watching the interaction between the three men.

“Um…”

“We would be happy to accompany you and…..my apologies, the name is slipping me..”

Will nearly rolled his eyes.

“Alfonsi. My companion.”

“Alfonsi. That’s right. We would be happy to accompany you and Alfonsi out for drinks.”

“We should get going.” Will yanked his lover’s hand, heading towards the door of the lecture room.

“Seven o’clock?” Rossi called.

“Seven o’clock.” Hannibal grinned.

  
  



End file.
